Bob Mould

“It reset and mended my freshly damaged and distorted view of life, and made me recognize that this thing we call music, this primal expression that we reshape and refine and define ourselves with, is the gift I was given. The ability to communicate what others feel but cannot fully express, the passing down and around of songs and stories, from Pete Townshend to Joey Ramone to me, to the audiences who take the time and effort to support our work and give us a way to support ourselves -- I'm thinking this is what I am supposed to be doing.”

“I think also there was a lot of coming to terms with where I am in life, where I fit in as a gay man in America, and getting more comfortable with who I am.”

“When the business starts shaping the art, or the delivery of the art, then it's not right.”

“I don't like the dislocation of being away for months at a time. It's not conducive to having a life.”

“Jeff Hudson started me on a path that was key, and as life goes on it's become a mantra to me. It's that you're born into a family, your family of origin, and you're stuck with it. Once I recognized that, it freed me up to have a different kind of family: a family of choice. The people I surround myself with, spend holidays with, look to for support and comfort and validation -- that's my family of choice.”

“There's so many companies that are spending so much money on 17-year-olds... I can't compete with that. I'm not that guy anymore, they can't dress me up and roll me out there and make me look good. I am what I am!”

“The blues is something separate from what I do. They connect at certain spots, but blues is different. I wouldn't put it in with what my career has been. That would be a whole separate wing.”

“How do I explain Neil Young? Great question! I explain Neil Young as, I would kill to see his acoustic shows.”

“When I'm winning, winning, winning with a certain way why would I mess with that? When I realised there was lot to be gained from failing in some people's eyes, it made it all the more interesting!”

“You're surrounded by electronic music in New York. I mean New York is one of the few places in North America where electronic music is the prevalent form.”